Writing and publishing today is a tough job. I don’t mean the actual creation of a great story. I’m talking about the business of being a writer. The publishing industry is feeling the same pain as Hollywood, and both film and television. (Have you noticed how many A list actors and actresses are doing commercials now, just to pay the bills?)
What’s happened to both media and publishing is a massive increase in content which makes it difficult to stand out for even great books and shows. As a writer, it is almost impossible to reach the mass public through advertising. Even a great looking cover might get a few seconds of face time as prospective readers flip through a magazine, or switch from show to show or scowl through social media.
So, how do great books get recognized? The best advertising a writer can have is a reader who finishes a great story and then (1) tells their friends about it including their social media friends and (2) takes a minute to post a review. That review can be done in seconds through the locations where they bought the book. Many readers know local literary critics, people who write newspaper, local magazine or television reviews. If you finish a great read, tell those people about the book. (They really get tired of trying to put lipstick on the pigs that the publishing houses send them, so they appreciate a referral to a book they will love from someone local.)
Many authors, including me, offer special book giveaways for targeted readers. I personally appreciate the men and women in uniform and veterans so my website will often include special offers, including free books to them. Many of those readers have a background that gives them a special credibility when reviewing a book. A teacher has special credibility reviewing a book about the classroom. A lawyer has insight that makes their review of a legal thriller more honest. A politician or someone with a military background can often hit a high point that lights up the public when reviewing a political, historical or military thriller.
To readers of the Books of Rodger Carlyle, you are the key to the rest of the public finding my work. I thank you for taking a minute to tell them about my stories.